What was the first song you learnt? I learned Hey Jude for an audition to be part of a choir in a stage play. I'd never sung in public before. It felt great to be putting it out there, even though I didn't know what I was doing. I got the part and that's what made me think I could sing. Pretty soon after, I joined my first band.
What’s your favourite memory of your early musical life? I remember learning to use a microphone at our first band rehearsal. I found it quite scary to be so audible at first. I liked being embedded in the noise of the band, so I used to sing really far away from the mic. Eventually, I crept closer. Now I sing with my lips right on there and my lipstick ends up smudged up to my nose by the end of a show.
What made you want to play music in the first place? I was always singing and, though I was really shy, I had a lot that I wanted to write about and share with the world. I think music was something that allowed me to express myself, even though I found that challenging, it felt right.
How old were you when you started playing? There was always music in my life. I took piano and guitar lessons when I was a kid, but I started singing in earnest when I turned sixteen.
Who were your music heroes/idols back then? Who are they now? I loved Neneh Cherry, Bille Holiday, Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones. Still do!
What was the name of your first band? Frente.
Angie Hart is a Melbourne singer-songwriter and member of Australian indie superstar band Frente.